Yoa to represent Vic in half marathon championships

Yoa set himself for the Gold Coast half-marathon at the start of the cross country and road season – before it was designated as a national title.

Selection in the Victorian team for the Ballarat distance runner is a bonus.

The Ballarat Regional Athletic Centre and Eureka club representative is the reigning Victorian half-marathon champion, a title he secured in the Athletics Victoria XCR’12 series last year.

Athletics Victoria yesterday announced a 12-member team for the championships.

Yoa will be joined by Liam Adams (Essendon), Benjamin Ashkettle (Doncaster), Stephen Dinneen (Box Hill), Lee Troop (Chilwell) and Kane Wille (Knox) in the open men’s division.

The women’s team features Abigail Bayley (Old Xaverians), Nikki Chapple (Box Hill), Isabella De Castella (Old Xaverians), 

Gemma Kenessy (Essendon), Sarah Klein (Frankston) and Julie Norney (Box Hill).

Adams won the Gold Coast half marathon last year and earlier this year represented Australia in the world cross country championships in Poland.

Ashkettle and Troop both finished in the top 10 in the Gold Coast event last year.

Yoa, Adams, Ashlettle, Dinneen and Wille have all begun the XCR’13 season impressively.

They were all in the top 10 in the state 15km road championship in Ballarat on May 25, which was the first individual event of the road and cross country marathon season.

Yoa finished second to Steve Kelly, Ashkettle was third, Dinneen fifth and Wille sixth.

They have also been among the stand-out performers in relays in the opening two rounds.

david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au